The science behind colour therapy or chromotherapy is interesting – and fits perfectly alongside essential oils

The first time I heard about this, I have to admit, I dismissed it, but then, after speaking to a number of therapists in different fields who use chromotherapy, I tried it, and I was surprised to find that it was a thing. I didn’t make the connection between the coloured lights on the Diffusers and the theory of colour therapy for a couple of years.

When I tried the colours in combination with essential oils, I was pretty impressed. Everything made sense – especially the halftones.

So, here are the colours and how they can impact:

• Cyan Blue – to reduce stress & enhance a state of rational calmness
• Red – to reduce feelings of hypertension & promote courage
• Yellow – to reduce melancholy or feelings of sadness
• Green – to enhance balance
• Mauve/Violet – to enhance restfulness
• Pink – to reduce feelings of anxiousness
• Silver/White – to enhance wellness

I must add at this point that many many institutions use these colours in clinic and therapy rooms to impact on a patient or client’s mindset.

Here is a little more on the theory of each of the colours used in colour therapy:

Blue is an intellectual colour. It helps promote feelings of calmness, a restoring of logic and of clarity of communication. Blue also helps remove emotion from situations – thus enabling a more rational state of mind and presence of mind.

Red is the colour of action. It is stimulating, but is also warming and delivers courage – assisting with a feeling of having control and fighting the feelings of being out of control.

Yellow is the colour of optimism, yellow helps where self-esteem is lacking. The flipside of yellow is that it can also cause people to hold back. Moving from yellow to red would be a good example of managing your day by colours.

Mauve/Violet is the spiritual colour of reflection and deep thought. it helps bring feelings of satisfaction, quality and a lesser focus on details or daily toils. Violet is useful at night when sleep is restless.

Colour Therapy and essential oils.

To match colours with oils will definitely have an additional impact. Here’s a guide to get started:

• Cyan Blue – to reduce stress & enhance a state of rational calmness | Essential Oils – Stress Less Blend, Marjoram, Frankincense, Sweet Orange
• Red – to reduce feelings of hypertension & promote courage | Essential Oils – Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Lemongrass
• Yellow – to reduce melancholy or feelings of sadness | Essential Oils Bergamot, Rosemary, Mandarin, Orange
• Green – to enhance balance | Essential Oils Geranium, Marjoram, Lavender, Orange
• Mauve/Violet – to enhance restfulness & recovery | Essential Oils Deep Rest Blend, Frankincense, Lavender, Ginger
• Silver/White – to enhance wellness | Essential Oils Eucalyptus, Lavender, Tea Tree, Ginger

This is a guide only and can vary by individual. The universal truth, however, is that the more you learn about essential oil and alternative therapies, the more they impact your life.

Essential Oils for Stress Management:

The Science Behind the Feel Good Diffuser Experience – Negative Ions

Why is it that Diffusers, Aroma Oils and Essential Oils deliver a relaxing environment?

There is a science behind this. Getting away from it all usually means getting out to the smell the ocean breeze – or heading into the quiet of the countryside, a forest or even a meadow or garden larger than a handkerchief does the job in varying degrees.

Just a short visit with any of the above and an escape from the electronics can increase focus and recharge our energy levels.

Have you ever wondered why? It’s partly because you have made the decision to escape whatever has stressed you out or brought you down – but in fact, there is more to it than that. It’s mostly because doing this exposed you to a vast quantity of negative ions.

Negative Ions make us feel better, feel happier and reduce anxiety.

When an atom or molecule (molecules being groups of atoms) with more positive than negative electrons it becomes positively charged – described as having the presence of positive ions. Conversely, when an atom or molecule has more negative electrons it becomes negatively charged (holds negative ions).
This exchange of electrons can happen around us all the time without our knowledge – but it does affect us. In some cases it affects us profoundly.
A beachfront environment, or anywhere near a volume of water or near lush vegetation will be a negatively charged environment, while an environment with electromagnetic fields, electronics and non-natural substances such as nylon carpet and plastics will have a predominance of positive ions.
Environments with negative ions tend to result in a better mood, a high level of serotonin appears to be present, we are more cheerful generally, we heal more quickly and we suffer less from allergies and general infections.

In a positively charged environment, we sleep poorly, we become sluggish and irritable and we generally do not recover from malaise easily.
The cure for the positive ion attitude is to get outdoors, get near trees and water. Essentially, to absorb some negative ions and get some sun on our head and Vitamin D in our bodies.

People who are exposed to negative ions better are physically and mentally more robust. So, what does this have to do with diffusers and essential oils?

Ultrasonic Diffusers produce negative ions and release them into surrounding space.

Add a couple of drops of Sweet Orange and Geranium Essential Oils – maybe a splash of Frankincense (a favourite combination or calming and uplifting), and you have a profound mood influencing formula – just like that. What could be easier? Next time you feel the blues coming on and you can’t get outside, open the window, let the breeze come in, then plug in your diffuser and take a break from your electronics – it’s that easy! Our modern urban lifestyle replies on the very things that affect us by delivering positive ions to our daily lives. Microwaves, cellphones, plastics, non-natural fibres – all contribute to the energy-sapping dilemma, but it need not be the case.

A daily dose of being outdoors and near a forest or a body of water (maybe just a bath) – and a diffuser will help keep your mind focused, your mood even and your health in good balance. Try it! You may be surprised at how muhc better you sleep.

How ultrasonic essential oil diffusers work.

Essential Oil diffusers are largely misunderstood in terms of how the ultrasonic technology works.

When you place water in the water chamber and place aroma oil or essential oils in the water, the oils will float to the top and sit there. Activating the diffuser directs an ultrasonic signal through the water.

Following activation of the signal, the water – through its own natural impedance response to the ultrasonic energy transmission, is caused to gently vibrate. This minuscule vibration causes a breakdown of the essential oil molecules and the water molecules, allowing both to dissipate into the surrounding area in the resultant cool mist.

Using ultrasonic energy to transmit essential oil or aroma oil is a very effective way of diffusion because it requires no heat generation.

The application of heat to release essential oils is another way of releasing their scent, but the heap itself can cause a denaturing of the oil’s properties.

Because ultrasonic diffusers use no heat, they allow full integrity for the properties of the oils.

This makes the diffuser very safe to use around young children and pets – a commonly asked question. The diffusers do not generate any heat whatsoever – even the vapour mist, which looks like steam, is cool to touch.

Ultrasonic diffusers are also very effective in that they have an auto-stop function on depletion of water in the chamber – so they tend to last a lot longer (no burnout).

On release, the vapour has a positive effect on the surrounding air – adding positive ions to the surrounding space as well as the lovely scent and the medicinal properties of the essential oils – much like the relaxing and health-giving experience of being near the ocean (also a powerful emitter of negative ions), diffusers deliver negative ions to the rooms they are used in – allowing a freshness and a somehow cleaner feel to the air.

Positive ions have the ability to neutralise mould spores and improve energy. Anyone who is sleeping poorly, feeling overly stressed or who is feeling under the weather generally will benefit from diffuser presence.

Cleaning your diffuser

If you are using your diffuser daily, you may need to give it a clean. The main thing to bear in mind when cleaning diffusers, it not to allow water to enter the air vent (this is usually a slot at the top of the water chamber), as water ingress to the circuitry will cause it to fail.

The easiest thing to do is to use a cotton tip, dip it in lightly soaped water & run it around the centre of the base (using no pressure), then a clean cloth,  very lightly dampened in mild soapy water) to lightly wipe the rest of the water chamber.

If you wish to, you can then add a little water to rinse, swirl it gently and empty the diffuser, taking care to tip away from the air vent and electric power inlet.

Allow your diffuser to power off after use.

Whether you use intervals, intermittent mist or continuous mist, it’s important to allow your diffuser to power off for a period at the end of the misting period. Topping up the water continuously will probably shorten the life of the diffuser.

If you want the diffuser to run overnight, set it up with a full water chamber in the evening & press the mist button when you are ready. it will mist until the water is low, then power itself off (including the lights).